Dumping-door-operating mechanism.



J. 0. NEIKIRK.

DUMPING DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.'12, 1908.

1 81,324 Patented Dec. 16, 1913.

Witnesses Invgnlor JLMM/ Z W Ji'ttorney BOLUIIIA PLANOIIAI'" CU" VASHMN D. C.

TES rarnnir oFuiicE.

JOHN O. NEIKIRK, OF MORGAN PARK, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO NATIONAL DUMP CAR COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

DUMPING-DOOR-OPERATING MECHANISM.

1 '0 all whom it may concern Be it known that l, JOHN O. Nnininn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Morgan Park, in the county of Cool: and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dumping-Deon Operating ltflechanism, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a new and improved mechanism for controlling and operating the dumping doors of dump cars.

A particular object of my invention is to provide mechanism to be used in connec tion with a reciprocating or creeping shaft by which to hold the shaft in any interme diate position and especially to hold it locked when it is in a position corresponding to a closure of the dui'nping doors and to provide an indicating member to show when the door is locked in closed position.

These objects and various others will be made apparent in the following specification and claims taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of my improvement as it would appear if the car floor were removed. Fig. 2 is an end elevation partly in section.

The particular embodimentof my invention, which T have illustrated in the drawings, is adapted to be used with a gondola car having a flat bottom comprising dumping floor sections.

The car body is represented by the reference number 13.

An opening 1 1 is cut through the end sill 15, through which access may be had for the purpose of operating the doors, as will appear from the subsequent description.

One of the dumping floor sections is shown by full lines in closed position as indicated by the reference numeral 16, and is also shown by dotted lines in its open position as indicated by the same character. It is hinged longitudinally near the center of the car at 16. On its under side an inclined track 17 is attached, formed of a strap or sheet of iron. At its outer extremity this track has the short portion 18 parallel with the surface of the door 16. Bigidly supported underneath the car is the transverse inclined track 19 having a level portion 20 atthe outer end thereof. A longitudinal shaft 21 rests upon this and simi- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 12, 1808.

Patented Dec. 16, 1913.

Serial No. 420,735.

lar tracks parallel therewith at different points along the length of the car. A chain 22 is attached by one end to the longitudinal shaft 21 and after being wrapped more or less about the said shaft its other end is attached at the point 23 near the outer end of the inclined track 19. A lever 2-1 is mounted on the end of the shaft 21 so as to rotate freely thereon. This lever carries a pawl 25 which is adapted to engage a ratchet wheel 26, the latter being fixed on the shaft 21.

A creeper consisting of a plate 27 of sheet metal, having the general shape of a quadrilateral, is provided. This creeper has a rotatable engagement at one end thereof with the shaft 21, as shown. Near its opposite end it has a slot 28 in engagement with a fixed pivot pin 29 on the framework of the car. The creeper 27 has pivoted thereto a dog 30, which is adapted to engage a ratchetwhcel 31, the latter being fixed on the shaft 21.. A pawl and indicating member 32 is mounted on a fixed pivot on the our framework behind the creeper 27 in the position shown in the drawings. As will more clearly appear from the following description of my invention, this pawl 32- serves to lock the creeper 27 and through it to lock the dumping floor sections 16 in closed position.

Assuming that the door is closed. the various moving parts will have the positions indicated in full lines in Fig. 2. The pawl will be dropped behind the creeper 27 so as to prevent the latter from moving to ward the center of the car. This will prevent the longitudinal shaft 21 from moving off the level tract: 20. lmmediatcly above the shaft 21 at this time is the level portion 18 of the track 17 which is atlixed to the under side of the door 16. Thus it will be seen that the door, through its attached track 18, is supported by the shaft 21, which in turn is supported by the level portion 20 of the fixed track 19. i Vhen it is desired to open the dumping door 16 the pawl 32 is thrown up and over to the right. Also the dog 30 is thrown over from the position shown in Fig. 2 to a reverse position. Then by means of the lever arm 2-41 the shaft 21 is rotated counterclockwise, as viewed in Fig. 2. This movement unwinds the chain 22 from the shaft 21 and permits the shaft by rolling in contact with the track 18 and sliding on the track 20 to move toward the center of the car until it passes out from between said opposed tracks 18 and 20. Thereafter the weight of the door 16 and whatever load may be above it will cause the door to open, the track 17 pushing the shaft 21 down the track 19 until finally the moving parts will assume the positions indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2. During this movement the slot 28 in the creeper 27 will slide on the fixed pin 29. This sliding move ment will be permitted because the pawl 32 is thrown back out of the way. lVhenever it is desired to close the doors 16 from the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, the pawl 25 and the dog 30 are thrown into the positions indicated. Also the pawl 32 is thrown over to the left so that its end will rest on the end of the creeper 27 in readiness to drop down behind it when the closure of the door is completed. Then a clockwise movement of the lever 2 1 winds the shaft 21' into the chain 22, thus advancing said shaft upon the inclined track 19. \Vhile the lever 2 L is being returned to take a fresh stroke, its pawl 25 moving idly over the ratchet wheel 26 at this time, the shaft 21 is held against backward rotation by the dog 80 on the cree ier 27 and the creeper in turn is held against rotation by its slot 28 in engagement with the fixed pin 29. Finally when the shaft 21 has completely closed the door and lies on the level part 20 of the inclined track 19, the creeper 27 will have moved so far away from the center of the car that the pawl 32 will drop down behind it, thus securely locking the door in closed position and also apprising the operator that the closure of the door is complete.

It will be observed that I have provided means for shifting the longitudinal shaft 21 by direct rotationthereof and that I have provided means adapted to hold the shaft against backward rotation at any stage. This last named means is the dog 30' which is mounted upon the creeper 27. The latter has a rotatable engagement with the shaft 21, but is prevented from rotation by also engaging a fixed part of the car. Moreover, I have provided additional means by which the door may be locked in closed position. This consists of means to confine the shaft 21 to a position between the short opposed tracks 18 and 20. Further, this additional locking means performs its function in an obvious manner and thus guards against uncertainty as to whether the door is completely closed and the shaft is in its uppermost position.

I claim:

1. In a dump car, a door supporting shaft adapted to be reciprocated by rotation thereof, an inclined supporting track for said shaft, a ratchet wheel secured to said shaft, a creeper having a pivotal and sliding connection with 'a fixed part of the car, a detent pivoted to said creeper and adapted to engage said ratchet, and means for rotating said shaft.

2. In a dump car, a fioor provided with hinged dump doors, a door supporting shaft adapted to be reciprocated by rotation thereof, a ratchet wheel secured to said shaft, an inclined supporting track for said shaft, a creeper, a pin and slot connection between said creeper and a fixed part of the car, a detent pivoted to said creeper and adapted to' engage said-ratchet, and means for rotating said shaft.

3. In a dump car, a door supporting shaft adapted to be reciprocated by rotation thereof, a plate loosely engaging the shaft at one end, a slot in the opposite end of the plate, a pin on the car framework engaging said slot, and coacting means carried by the plate and shaft adapted to hold the latter against rotation.

41. In a dump car, a door supporting shaft adapted to be reciprocated by rotation thereof, a member loosely engaging the shaft and also engaging the car framework at one side of the path of movement of the shaft, and a pawl adapted to drop behind the said member when the shaft is in a position corresponding to a closure of the door,and thus lock the door in closed position.

5. In a dump car, a reciprocatory door supporting shaft, and a pawl adapted to hold the shaft in a position corresponding to a complete closure of the door, said pawl being always out of engagement when the door is in other positions.

6. In a dump car, a reciprocating door supporting shaft, a creeper, and means to engage the creeper when the doors are fully closed so as to lock them in closed position.

7. In a car of the class described having dumping doors in its floor, a reciprocatory door operating shaft, a creeper, locking means on the creeper, and means coacting with the creeper to lock the parts in position when the doors are fully closed.

In testimony whereof, I, have subscribed my name.

J OHN O. NEIKIRK. Witnesses:

EDYTHE M. ANDERSON, FLORENCE A. FLORELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, 'by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

